Achillea plant named ‘Pineapple Mango’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Achillea  plant named ‘Pineapple Mango’, characterized by its upright, columnar and mounding plant habit; strong and vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit with plants remaining in flower for a long period time; inflorescences with pink-colored ray florets that become yellow with development; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Achillea millefolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PINEAPPLE MANGO’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION

Title: Achillea Plant Named ‘Peachy Seduction’

Applicant: Wilhelmus J. J. Nijssen

Filed: Concurrently with this application

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant, botanically known as Achillea millefolium,and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pineapple Mango’.

The new Achillea plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Achillea millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’, not patented. The new Achillea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Summer Pastels’ in July, 2005 in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Stavenisse, The Netherlands. The selection of this plant was based on its unique inflorescence coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Achillea plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Lancaster, Pa. since August, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Achillea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Achillea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pineapple Mango’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pineapple Mango’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant:

-   -   1. Upright, columnar and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit with plants remaining in flower for a         long period time.     -   5. Inflorescences with pink-colored ray florets that become         yellow with development.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Achillea differ from plants of the parent, ‘Summer Pastels’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Achillea are more compact than and not as         open as plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   2. Plants of the new Achillea are more freely branching and have         stronger stems than plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   3. Plants of the new Achillea flower more uniformly than plants         of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   4. Ray floret color of plants of the new Achillea does not fade         as quickly as ray floret color of plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.

Plants of the new Achillea differ primarily in ray floret coloration from plants of Achillea millefolium ‘Peachy Seduction’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/804,003 filed concurrently.

Plants of the new Achillea can also be compared to plants of Achillea millefolium ‘Appleblossom’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lancaster, Pa., plants of the new Achillea differed from plants of ‘Appleblossom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Achillea were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Appleblossom’.     -   2. Plants of the new Achillea had shorter internodes than plants         of ‘Appleblossom’.     -   3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Achillea did not fade         as quickly as ray floret color of plants of ‘Appleblossom’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Achillea plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Achillea plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pineapple Mango’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Pineapple Mango’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in one-gallon containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Lancaster, Pa. during the spring and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Achillea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures averaged 16° C. Plants were pinched one time. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical nine-month old flowering plants. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Achillea millefolium ‘Pineapple Mango’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation Achillea     millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 21 days at             24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 25 days at             22° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright, columnar and mounding             plant habit; strong and sturdy plants; vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 36.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 27 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with about five to six lateral branches developing per             plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length:             About 26 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About             3.5 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong, sturdy.             Texture: Tomentose. Color: Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 12.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate; pinnatifid.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Very finely dissected giving a fern-like feathery             appearance.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B; venation, close to 147C to 147D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Flowering arrangement and habit.—Rotate composite             inflorescence form; inflorescences arranged in terminal or             axillary compound cymes; cymes somewhat flat-topped; freely             flowering habit with about 300 inflorescences developing per             lateral branch; inflorescences positioned above the foliar             plane and face upright to slightly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate; herbaceous, like green peppers.         -   Time to flower.—Long flowering period, under natural season             conditions, plants flower throughout the summer; plants that             are cut back will reflower.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about seven to ten days on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 11C.         -   Cyme size.—Diameter: About 11 cm by 12.5 cm. Height: About             10.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8 mm. Depth (height):             About 7 mm. Disc diameter: About 2.5 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.             Receptacle shape: Ovoid. Receptacle color: Close to 146C.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Rounded obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About             4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: Five in a single             whorl. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 11C to 11C tinged with close to 186D. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 186D becoming closer to 182D; with             subsequent development, color becoming closer to 8D. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 27A to 27B; with             development, color becoming closer to 8D.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex, five-pointed. Length:             About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 15. Color, immature: Apex and             mid-section: Close to 4B. Base: Close to 145D. Color,             mature: Apex and mid-section: Close to 4D. Base: Close to             145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 16 in about             two whorls; imbricate. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Length: About 3.5 mm. Width: About             2 mm. Texture, upper surface: Smooth; glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             146B. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 1.8 cm to 2 cm.             Length, fourth peduncle: About 4 cm. Length, seventh             peduncle: About 9.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright; axillary peduncles, about             45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 147C.         -   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets             only).—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per disc floret:             About five. Filament length: About 1.5 mm. Filament color:             Close to 157D. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 7D. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per disc floret:             One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted.             Stigma color: Close to 145D. Style length: About 2.5 mm.             Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Achillea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Achillea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Achillea have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and to be hardy     to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct Achillea plant named ‘Pineapple Mango’ as illustrated and described. 